Apparatus for operating flash-lights.



I H. v. SHEPPARD.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FLASH LIGHTS,

AAPPLICATION'FILED SEPT. 13. 1916 1,288,948. Patented Sept. 4,1917.

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, HERBERT V. SHEPPARD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FLASH-LIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Original application filed March 31, 1916, Serial No. 88,140. Divided and this application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT V. SHEP- PARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of WVorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in an Apparatus for Operating Flash- Lights, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, forming a division of my pending application Serial No. 88,140, filed March 31, 1916, foran advertising device.

Mypresent invention relates to an apparatus for alternately lighting and extinguishing an electric lamp adapted for use in an advertising device, comprising an illuminated screen uponwhich shadows are thrown by means of an opaque figure, as

described in the application aforesaid, and it has for its object to produce an intermittent' illumination by means of a controlling mechanism which is automatically operated by an electric current which may be the same as that supplying the lamp. I accomplish this result by the operation of an apparatus as hereinafter described, the novel features of my invention being pointed out in the appended claims.

' lar parts in the different figures.

The apparatus embodying my present invention is adapted for use wherever it is desirable to produce a flash from an electric lamp; but is herein described in connection with an advertising device as illustrating one of the useful purposes to which my invention is applicable.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a box or casing containin the operating mechanism. The front si e of the casing is left open and is closed by a screen 2 of cloth or similar semitransparent material. At some distance behind the screen 2 is mounted a stationary opaque Serial No. 119,864.

figure 3, and at the rear of the figure 3 and at opposite corners of the box I place two electric lamps 1, 5. If the lamps 1 and 5 are lighted and extinguished alternately, the shadow of the figure 3 will be :3;

thrown upon the screen 2 in difierent posi tions. WVhen the lamp 4; is lighted, the shadow of the figure 3 will be thrown upon the screen between the points 6 and 7, and when the lamp 5 is lighted, the shadow of the figure 3 will be thrown upon the screen between the points 8 and 9. By thus shifting the position of the shadows, the figure producing them will have the appearance of moving. The amount of transparent movement will depend upon the distance between the screen 2 and the opaque figure 3. The apparatus for alternately lighting and extinguishing the lamps 4 and. 5 is operated by means of an electric current L and an electromagnet 10, alternately magnetized and demagnetized automatically, as hereinafter described.

The electromagnet 10 comprises a core 11 around which a wire for conducting electricity is wound in multiple layers. At one end of the magnet 10 is suspended an armature12, capable of swinging freely upon a spindle 13 held in posts 1st. Bearing against the upper end of the swinging armature 12 is insulated spring 15, which holds the lower end of the armature 12 against a metallic contact piece 16.

At the opposite end of the magnet is suspended a second armature 17, capable of swinging freely upon a spindle 18 supported in posts 19. The armature 17 carries at its lower end pins 20 and 21 projecting from opposite sides of the armature 17. Upon one side of the pin 21 is a blade spring 22, and upon the opposite side of the pin 20 is a blade spring 23. As the armature 17 hangs by gravity in a vertical plane, the pins 20 and 21 are out of contact with the springs 22'and 23. Wires 24, and 25 connect the spindles 13 and 18 with a source of electricity, and the metallic contact piece 16 is connected by a wire 26 with one end of the wire coiled about the core 11 of the magnet.

The opposite end of the coiled wire is connected with a wire 27 which is connected with a wire 28 returning to the source of electrical supply, and thereby completing a circuit through the coils of the magnet. As the magnet becomes energized, the swinging armature 12 is drawn away from the contact piece 16, which breaks the circuit and demagnetizes the core 11. lVhen this occurs, the spring 15 will instantly throw the swinging armature 12 against the contact piece 16, again completing the circuit and energizing the magnet. The magnet 10 will, therefore, be rapidly brought into and out of the electric circuit, the core 11 becoming magnetized and dcmagnetized in succession. \Vhen the core 11 is magnetized, the swinging armature 17 is drawn toward the magnet, bringing the pin 20 against the spring 23 and causing the current to pass through the wire 25, spindle 18, armature 17, spring 23 and wire 29 to the lamp 5, the circuit through the lamp being completed by the wire 30 and wire 28.

As soon as the magnet becomes demagnetized, the spring 23, which has been slightly compressed by the 'oressure'of the pin 20, immediately throws the lower end of the armature 17 away from the magnet, the momentum of the armature carrying the pin 21 against the spring 22. The spring 22 is connected by the wire 31 with the lamp 4, the circuit through the lamp 4 being completed by the wire 32 and wire 28. By the operation of the above described apparatus, the lamps 4 and 5 will be alternately lighted and extinguished, causing the shadow of the opaque Fig. 3 to beshifted on the screen 2.

The apparatus I have described is simple and continuous in its operation so long as the electric current is supplied, and in the present embodiment of my invention a single source of electricity serves to illuminate the lamps and also to produce their alternation.

I claim,

1. In an apparatus of the class described, an electric circuit, an electromagnet included in said circuit, an armature at one end of said magnet, a spring for bringing said armature away from said magnet and into the electric circuit, a second swinging armature included in said circuit and normally held by gravity out of contact with said magnet, and a multiplicity of contact points located in the path of said second swinging armature, and normally out of contact therewith.

In an apparatus of the class described, an electric circuit including an electromagnet, means for alternately breaking the circuit to said magnet, comprising a swinging armature included in said circuit and normally out of contact with said magnet, a spring applied to said swinging armature to force it out of contact with the electromagnet, and a contact point in the path of said armature as it is moved by said spring.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, an electric circuit, an electromagnet, means for making and breaking the connect-ion between said electromagnet and said electric circuit, a suspended swinging armature included in said circuit and normally held by gravity in the field of said electromagnet, a pair of contact points one on each side' of said. swinging armature but spaced there-' from, one of said contact points consisting.

of a yielding spring by which said armature is thrown against the other contact point.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, an electric circuit, an electroma net included in said electric circuit, means or automatically breaking the circuit to said electromage net, an armature included in said circuit, normally held out of contact with said electromagnet but within its field, a spring in the path of said armature as it is moved into contact with said electromagnet, a con tact point on the opposite side of said arma ture but spaced therefrom,a pairof electric lamps included in said circuit, one of said lamps having electricalconnection with said spring and the other of said lamps havingelcctrical connection with said contact point.-

HERBERT V. SHEPPARD.

\Vitnesses NnLLm VII ALEN, PENELOPE COMBERBAOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the'0bmm1isloner of rum; Washington, D. G. 

